[FINISHED] AU: NOT based off the movie. Mia has set off on a lone mission to save her country and all those she loves from the corruption of Parliament and her enemies. But who's gonna save her from a loveless marriage and a lonely life? MM

A/N- I'm reeeeeaaaaaally nervous about putting this out. I've been working on this for several months because I was inspired for some weird reason and decided to write it down. I'm actually incredibly proud of this, but I'm slightly scared about putting a fanfic up for Princess Diaries that is so incredibly unorthodox. So please, bear with me, I swear I know what I'm doing. (Somewhat)

Chapter 1

I sighed as I took of my glasses and closed my eyes tightly. A long morning of listening to the Prime Minister's requests and Grandmère's subtle, counter suggestions had caused a splitting headache to form right between my eyes.

I slowly got out of my chair and checked the time. 4:00…I could still get some sleep in before dinner.

I pressed the intercom button on the telephone. "Hey, Lilly? Bring me a wake up call in an hour and a half, please? I need some good, long rest."

"Sure thing."

I loved Lilly. I had gone through fifteen personal assistants till I finally found her. She was a dream come true: she was efficient, succinct, and tireless. She had also become my best friend.

I quietly ran up to my chambers, locked the door tight and threw myself into the cushy linen sheets, snuggling against the fluffy pillows and trying to make my headache go away.

Last night was hell.

How did Genovia end up in such awful shape? What had happened? This used to be such a peaceful place and now…now all that's left is a corrupt tourist trap. Shiny in the day, but dark at night.

That's where I come in.

I may be a princess that's trapped in the rat race of politically indecent, power-hungry CEOs. I may be just a letterhead of truth and justice to the international world, but that doesn't mean I don't care about the well-being of my country.

I might not be able to make much political change at the rate I'm going…but that doesn't mean Phantom Phoenix can't fix Genovia's night problems.

That's right; royal by day, superhero by night. And let me tell you, it's not an easy job.

I guess it all started when I turned fifteen. I had toured Genovia before, but I had always been with my father and/or Grandmère with an entourage of bodyguards to boot. My fifteenth birthday was a milestone; I got to tour my country with only Lars.

That's when I realized what Genovia had fallen into. Black Market items were being sold underground; rich families were turning to lives of crime to keep their power and wealth; people were getting mugged on a daily basis; once prominent buildings were now tainted with graffiti and gang signs; street lights were broken, and children were begging on the streets just to survive.

I had never seen my country like this. And it really opened my eyes.

I wanted my people to live in better conditions. I wanted to make a change in my country, to watch it thrive and prosper, to become bigger than its size. I wanted the quality of life to improve.

I made a resolve right then and there that I was going to help my people no matter what; I would see to it that justice was served. Immediately after this epiphany, I demanded to sit in every Parliament meeting to watch changes be made.

At this time, my father was still on the throne, and he too was trying his hardest to change Genovia. However, Parliament had persuaded the people, and a new constitution was drafted. They had cornered him, forcing him to hand over the power of the throne to the Parliament members and generous, wealthy families.

He fought, though. He found as many loopholes as he could find in the new constitution and he exploited them. He gathered the little power he had left and used it to create more jobs, stop crime, and build more houses and hospitals.

Parliament members, however, hated him for this. He was using the national treasury to fund these projects, which if he had not, would have gone straight into the pockets of our corrupt political leaders. So they assassinated him.

I still remember that day very clearly. Father and I were walking around the gardens, talking about plans for a decreased crime rate when out of nowhere, a loud gunshot sounded. I screamed, turned to my father and found his chest bleeding. He fell to the ground, gasping for air, but when the paramedics finally came around, it was too late. He had already died.

Immediately after my father's death, I became wary. I knew Parliament disliked me as well for my radical ideas, similar to that of my father's. I had to be on my guard at all times. It had even gotten to the point when I couldn't trust anyone, not the maids, not chauffeurs, even my own bodyguards that I had known since I was six. So I took up martial arts. I traveled to Asia; I went to China and Japan to study from great kendo and kung-fu masters. I learned the art of mediation from Tibetan monks. I learned to kick-box, and I studied as many forms of self-defense as I could.

I came back to Genovia seven years later, ready to claim my responsibility. My grandmother, Clarisse Renaldo, and current monarch had lost that snap and energy she once had, leaving Genovia to the dishonest politicians.

Having passed my twenty-first birthday, I was eligible to take the throne, and I did. Grandmère readily handed it to me, saying that she hadn't wanted it anymore, that her grief was too much to bear. She couldn't stand to watch Genovia in the state that it was in, while knowing that she could do nothing about it.

It was hard to believe that she was once the very same woman that could strike fear into my heart with one single glance. Nowadays, she looked more like a harmless old woman.

Upon my return, I saw that Genovia's condition had worsened. People continued to live in destitute conditions and crime was still going strong.

I couldn't stand by and watch innocent people get mugged everyday, knowing that I could do something to stop it. So after hiring Lilly, she and I started the Phantom Phoenix phenomenon.

When creating the costume, we considered many options. I didn't want it to be hi-tech. I liked being versatile and agile, so we settled on a body suit made of a material that had been named, "second skin". It moved with my body, stayed warm in the cold, yet breathed coolly and comfortably on humid nights. My mask was hi-tech, however. It was made of a sort of moving putty that molded to whatever facial expression I had adopted. It had small screens over my eyes, yet allowed me to see with night vision and thermal heat vision as well. It covered my nose, but left the lower part of my face uncovered. The sides of the mask extended to my ears, where I could communicate back and forth to Lilly whenever I needed it. I wore boots that seemed like socks, but were very sturdy and tear-proof. My entire suit was fireproof and bulletproof, despite the flexibility. And all of it was a deep, dark red color, to catch the attention of attackers and victims alike.

Phantom Phoenix had worked hard to gain a respected name in the crime fighting community. She was more that just a vigilante. She was a hero and a role model to people everywhere.

So now, I am the only one fighting for Genovia. Politically and socially.

I do not possess a natural grace as some do, but I have learned it. I can now move quietly, stealthily, and become almost invisible in the shadows, the result of my hard training.

Making sure my mask was securely in place, I climbed the ladder up out of my lab and onto the roof. Extending my Bo staff, I pole vaulted from rooftop to rooftop. After five minutes, I reached an apartment building overlooking the alleyway. I saw a man on top of a small figure, and the small figure seemed to be whimpering in pain.

I silently pulled out two of my ninja stars and flung them with amazing accuracy. One of them had grabbed the cloth in his shoulder and pinned him against the brick wall and the other pinned him by the leg. He was still on top of the small girl, but he could not move.

I gracefully climbed down one of the fire escapes and pulled the guy off the cowering girl. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I whispered dangerously.

I could see the fear in his eyes as he squirmed against my grip. I pulled out one of my Sais and held it against his throat. "I don't ever want to see your slimy face on the streets again, got it?"

He nodded vigorously, begging me with his eyes to let him go. I knocked him out and tied a length of rope around his wrists and ankles. After making sure that he couldn't get away, I approached the girl cautiously. "Are you okay?" I asked gently.

She gave a small squeal in pain and scooted away from me, curling herself up in a ball and refusing to look at me.

"It's okay," I coaxed her. "It's alright, I've got you." I knelt down next to her, helped her get dressed and said, "Stay here, alright? I promise that man won't hurt you. I'll wait with you until the police and paramedics come."

No sooner than I had said that, I heard sirens and saw bright lights approaching me. The girl turned to see the police, and when she turned back around, I was gone.

I watched from the rooftop, making sure the girl would be safe and the man was put away securely. Just as I was about to leave, I heard one of the cops ask, "Who tied this guy up?"

"Phantom Phoenix," The girl replied quietly. "She saved me."

Immediately I left. I didn't like people thanking me.

The next morning I was awakened by a slightly disturbed and anxious Lilly. "What's wrong?" I asked as I sat up and pulled my breakfast tray closer to me.

"My brother," She replied. "He recently graduated from Oxford."

"Is he living in England?"

"Well, no. He's actually a native Genovian."

"That's nice," I said absent-mindedly as I unfolded the paper and began scanning the headlines.

"He's coming back."

"Does he need a place to stay? Because if he's related to you, he's welcome to stay in the palace."

"No, that's not necessary, but thank you for offering."

I was beginning to get a little impatient. "Well then what's wrong, Lilly?"

She hesitated. "For a while now, he's been traveling the world. Not unlike you. He especially took interest in martial arts and graduated from Oxford with a law degree. He's…he's coming back and he wants to be a lawyer."

My eyes narrowed. "What kind of lawyer?"

"A prosecutor."

I nodded my approval. "Good then. Hopefully he is fair and just."

"He is. You should hear him rant on and on about the rights of the Genovian people and how they are being severely trampled on by the Parliament, which is supposed to be protecting their rights."

"I agree," I said. I was starting to like this guy.

Of course, it was my job as the monarch to meet all potential lawyers, considering we didn't have very many. He was apparently starting his job today, with his first big trial. I was supposed to sit in and I did.

When I got into the courthouse, my heart nearly stopped at the sight of Lilly's brother. He was absolutely beautiful. He had long, dark hair that fell slightly over his chocolate colored eyes. He was tall, six feet at least. And he had beautiful, big strong hands that wrote and worked steadily.

He was prosecuting a man that had broken into a house and killed the couple inside. The defense was sneaky, getting into the mind of the judge. However, Lilly's brother, Michael, was eloquent, passionate, and well-versed. His graceful hand gestures and the fire in his eyes empowered his words, driving his point and appealing to the feelings of all those who heard him.

He was amazing.

I watched his performance in admiration. The man had a wonderful stage presence.

Unfortunately, Judge Thatcher was one of the corrupt law figures, paid off by Parliament to keep their thugs out of prison. And he let the man off with no more than a warning.

Michael looked down dejectedly as he watched the bailiff unlock his cuffs and lead him out of the courthouse. The defense attorney gave him a smirk and waddled after the prisoner, mentally tallying another victory.

I got up and walked to Michael. He was busy putting documents and files away in his briefcase.

He looked up, and suddenly his eyes narrowed. "Oh. Thank you." And with that, he snapped his briefcase closed.

I held out my hand. "I'm Mia. It's nice to meet you."

He waved my greeting aside. "Look, I know who you are. You're just another one of these crooked politicians, only looking out for yourself. Yeah, screw your people right? As long as you get what you want, you're happy. Well I hate to ruin your world of bright rainbows and cotton candy clouds, but people are suffering so you can keep your cushy throne."

An anger started to build up in my chest. He wanted to group me with the members of Parliament? How dare he! "Look here, buddy, I may be a princess, but that does not mean that I don't want to help my people! Don't tell me what I already know!"

He waved that aside. "Really? Then what kind of clothes are you wearing, your highness? Did you buy them with the taxes that us lowly peasants have to pay?"

The insult had hit me bellow the belt. I prided myself for not giving a damn what fashion experts had to say. "Actually, no," I replied coldly. "I made these. Believe it or not, the domestic arts aren't dead."

He smirked. "That's probably what you just tell your reporters just so your approval rating won't go down."

I had heard enough. He may be beautiful and he may be fighting for public rights, but this guy was downright arrogant. I turned around and angrily walked away.

When I got back the palace, I ran up to my room, changed into my workout clothes, and pulled a book out of my shelf to open the door to my lab. Immediately, the shelf slid aside, revealing a dark tunnel. I ran into it as the shelf moved back into place behind me.

Already, Lilly was sitting in front of the mega computer. "So how was court?"

I slipped on a pair of boxing gloves and started hitting the punching bag in the far corner of the room. "He got off."

I pretended that a picture of Michael's head was taped to the very top and started punching the lights out of the thing.

"Whoa," Lilly commented as she saw me launch a flurry of attacks at the heavy bag. "Someone's working off a little steam. What happened? Did you want to see him in jail that badly?"

I shook my head and stopped for a while. "No, it wasn't the criminal. I knew he'd get off, he's Count LeDoux's nephew." I paused for a moment, then added, "I met your brother."

Her face fell. "Look, Mia—"

"Save it." I said as I turned back to the punching bag. "Don't try to defend your brother, like he's the only one left fighting for justice in Genovia, alright? He's just an arrogant jerk who thinks he's got all the answers."

"I wasn't going to defend my brother," She explained. "He just gets zealous sometimes. And when he began to form his opinions about our government, he blamed it on everyone who held authority. Even your father, when he was alive."

I stopped and glared at Lilly. "How could he?" I screamed. "My father was the only one who gave a damn! He was the only one that cared! Why the hell do you think they assassinated him!" Fresh tears began to form in my eyes and I unleashed a new attack on the punching bag.

After five minutes straight of continuous hitting, I threw myself in the chair next to Lilly and began sobbing. She comfortingly rubbed my back and my shoulders, tucking my hair behind my ears. "Oh, it's alright, sweetie," She murmured. "My brother's a jerk, just like you said."

"I miss him," I whimpered as a picture of my father grinning flashed before my eyes. "I miss him so much."